becoming a psychologist

Greetings, My wife is about to finish her bachelors in psychology mention me that in oder to become a psychologist she needs a PHd. She also said that, she can't do much with just a bachelors.

I'm going trough the whole process of becoming an architect myself (5 years of school + 3 years internship + 9 Architectural Exams limited + misc....). However, it wasn't until my final steps to become an Architect that I found out about a whole bunch of loop holes and things that nobody mention me in school. Things like in some states you don't even need a bachelors to become an architect, or that some states you don't need to do your internship, or that in some states you can start taking the exams before finishing your internship!!

Where I'm trying to get is... what thing could help my wife that are not usually mentioned at school???

thanks a lot
leo

Hi, Leo, welcome to PsychCentral.

States license psychologists and most states (like California) protect the name "psychologist" and a person has to meet rigorous rules in order to get a license to call themselves a psychologist. Anyone can set up and call themselve anything they want, somewhere, I imagine; but I don't think anyone gets a job as an architect without the degree/5 years education. It could just be the word "architect" isn't protected by law. But I don't know anyone who would be foolish enough to hire someone without the education/internship/testing, etc.

Here's a good site on what your wife needs:

http://psyccareers.apa.org/

There are many different "paths"/types of psychologists. But you'd have to look at the various state laws as to what they required for their licenses, how they differed: http://www.uky.edu/Education/EDP/psyinfo2.html

One generally knows where they want to practice so studies to get a license in that state and go by those laws.

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Perna said:
Hi, Leo, welcome to PsychCentral.

States license psychologists and most states (like California) protect the name "psychologist" and a person has to meet rigorous rules in order to get a license to call themselves a psychologist. Anyone can set up and call themselves anything they want, somewhere, I imagine; but I don't think anyone gets a job as an architect without the degree/5 years education. It could just be the word "architect" isn't protected by law. But I don't know anyone who would be foolish enough to hire someone without the education/internship/testing, etc.

Here's a good site on what your wife needs:

http://psyccareers.apa.org/

There are many different "paths"/types of psychologists. But you'd have to look at the various state laws as to what they required for their licenses, how they differed: http://www.uky.edu/Education/EDP/psyinfo2.html

One generally knows where they want to practice so studies to get a license in that state and go by those laws.

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Thanks for the link
As far as architecture, yes the word architect is highly protected. I can't even call myself an "architectural - Intern" because it uses the word architecture. I'm 3 exams away from finishing.. so it's all good

However, in some states after a certain amount of years, some candidates are allow to take the "Architectural Registration Exams"... Once they are done taking them, they are considered Architects by the full extent of the law (in that state). So there are loopholes! In FL you can start taking the exams before you finish your Internship (I'm doing it as wee speak, I'll have mi license before any of my classmates that graduated in PA)

I don't see any loopholes. Your PA classmates can do the same thing according to the Pensylvania Code:
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§ 9.41. General requirements.
Licensure may be granted to an applicant who has successfully passed the ARE examination. The subject matter is available from the NCARB.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> It's just knowing your particular state laws.

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Perna said:
I don't see any loopholes. Your PA classmates can do the same thing according to the Pensylvania Code:
</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
§ 9.41. General requirements.
Licensure may be granted to an applicant who has successfully passed the ARE examination. The subject matter is available from the NCARB.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> It's just knowing your particular state laws.

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The problem is... you need to fulfill some requirements in order to be eligible to take the AR exams... In most states, you need to finish your IDP (internship developing program) before you can take the exams and you can't start your IDP without a Bachelors in Architecture from an NCARB accredited school.

However in FL you only need 1 year under your belt on IDP to start taking the exams. You still need to finish the IDP to get the license, but it allows you to advance faster in the process.
Does that makes sense?
I'm Weeks away to finish my IDP and I already took 6 exams!

I heard that in the Virgin Islands you don't need to do the IDP to take the AR exams, and I think in California with just experience alone (no bachelors in architecture) you can become eligible to take the exams .

But lest comeback to psychology as that what I'm interested in knowing!

This is the one you have to study for psychology :-)

http://www.uky.edu/Education/EDP/psyinfo2.html

I still don't think much is different in architecture; you're just doing it smarter ;-) To be NCARB certified (which I'm sure you're going for :-) you just need to do these 5 things; doesn't say some can't be done concurrently as you're doing them other than some school or other may have its rules about order of doing things: http://www.ncarb.org/Certification/index.html

The difference between architecture and psychology is there is no NCARB organization for psychology. Your NCARB certification makes it easier for you to move from state to state than a psychologist would have. Psychology is more like engineering than architecture. But even engineers have the CE exams whereas there's no such standard exam for psychology, it's all state controlled. However, here's what you might consider a loophole? (the pass rate differences for the CA psych exam though is 65% for certified program grads versus only 39% for non-certified): </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
California is relatively unique in that graduates of unaccredited schools are eligible for licensure. As pointed out by Safarjan (1998), in California the standards applied by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education pertain primarily to financial responsibility and not to quality standards. Safarjan said that graduates of unaccredited schools cannot be licensed in states other than California, and possibly Colorado, and that graduates of unaccredited schools are limited in regard to eligibility for employment, managed care companies, pre and post doctoral internship programs, the National Register, and ability to obtain full membership in APA.

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1eonardo, what does your wife want to do with her Ph.D. in Psychology? Depending on her career goals, she may find that there are very similar jobs that require less schooling. For example, if she wants to be a Psychologist who provides psychotherapy, she could still be a psychotherapist with just a master's degree. For example, she could get a master's degree in social work or psychology, and as long as she passed the psychotherapist licensing requirements for your state she could be in practice and reimbursable by many health insurance plans. My psychotherapist, for example, has a master's in Psychology and is licensed as a family and marriage counselor.

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sunrise said:
1eonardo, what does your wife want to do with her Ph.D. in Psychology? Depending on her career goals, she may find that there are very similar jobs that require less schooling. For example, if she wants to be a Psychologist who provides psychotherapy, she could still be a psychotherapist with just a master's degree. For example, she could get a master's degree in social work or psychology, and as long as she passed the psychotherapist licensing requirements for your state she could be in practice and reimbursable by many health insurance plans. My psychotherapist, for example, has a master's in Psychology and is licensed as a family and marriage counselor.

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Well, first I would like to add that she is not trying to cut school... in fact, this research it's more for my own information than for her, as she is planning to go all the way and get her doctorate

Anyway, to answer your question, she wants to be a Neuropsychologist and she is planing to get her degree from Carlos Albizu University...

This is what I found by doing a quick search
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CURRICULUM PLAN

The curriculum of the Psy.D. Program is derived from its mission, philosophy, training model, and goals as articulated above. The Psy.D. Program offers four concentrations: Child Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, Forensic Psychology, and General Practice.

The Clinical Neuropsychology Concentration is designed to train students in the assessment, management, and rehabilitation of brain-injured individuals as well as those diagnosed with degenerative brain disorders.

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thanks